


The Gold Motel: Meeting Your Other Self

by mrgoldsdearie



Series: The Gold Motel [18]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Horror, F/M, Mental Health Issues, Physical Therapy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-19
Updated: 2016-10-19
Packaged: 2018-08-23 11:08:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8325439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrgoldsdearie/pseuds/mrgoldsdearie
Summary: Rumbelle AU inspired by the movie Psycho - Norman Gold watches the first video message from his papa and it has more of an effect on him than he had thought.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I cried writing this Norman and Robert break my heart. They just want to be good men and love their family, but they have so many fucks up to make right. This chapter is kinda the calm before the storm of revealing one of those fuck ups. Things are going to seem down hill from here, but I promise light, LIGHT, at the end of their dark tunnel. Revealing secrets is necessary for them to find their happy ending. I hope those who read enjoy. And I’m sorry for dropping more angst on this fandom, but at least I can say that it's necessary here. Happy reading!

“You seem to be very emotional right now.” Dr. Merlin rests his notebook on the glass coffee table. “Tell me what you’re feeling?”

Norman Gold grasps anxiously onto the seven-inch black tablet Merlin handed to him. He stares down at the lock screen that’s waiting for him to enter his passcode, never thought this moment would be so soon. It’s been five days since Dr. Merlin introduced the idea of video messages to Norman. He didn’t think his papa would quickly agree to do such an idea.

Robert Gold honestly wants to clear this mess between them and wants them both to live a more balanced life. He will do all that he can to get there.

“I’m a b-b-bit surprised right now,” Norman answers.

“What has you stunned? Is it the fact that Robert agreed to do this exercise?”

“Kind of.” He shrugs.

“Would it make you feel any better if I told you that he didn’t make it easy?”

Norman snorts, his papa being difficult is something he expected. “Yes, it might.”

The doctor treats his patient to a pleasant smile. “Well, he was very reluctant at first. He thought I was trying to trick both of you and that I would watch the recording without either of you knowing. I tried to assure him that I wouldn’t.”

“What ch-ch-changed his mind?”

“I don’t know. He changed it himself. He sat there and thought for a moment, then said that this whole thing is going help him with something that he wanted to ask me about.” He reaches for the cold pitcher of water sitting on the table between them.

“What d-d-did he want to ask you?”

“I don’t know. He said I didn’t need to know since he already had the solution,” Merlin answers, refilling Norman’s drinking glass with more water. “Which—" peeks up at his patient— “is his right to keep.” Rests the water pitcher back on the table.

The doctor informed Robert that he's here to help with anything discussed in the video messages, even if he chooses to never show them to him. Dr. Merlin is hoping that that will all change. He hopes that Robert will show one of the videos some day. It would be a sign of real trust between them.

“But—” the doctor crosses his right leg over the left— “let's get back to you and the way you're feeling.”

Norman nods, agreeing to move the session along. “I'm also—” he dried his sweaty palms on his hospital issued dark khaki pants— “sc-scared.”

“That’s understandable,”  Merlin quickly replies. “You're about to come face to face to a man that has done terrible things to you, who's made you feel weak and worthless. Fear is a very valid emotion…. But do you know what, Norman?”

“What?”

“Doing this takes so much strength. Listening to what Robert has to say and truly understanding him, will show how strong you really are. All the anxiety you feel right now will be gone once you hit that play button. And I'm sure that whatever's on that video is something to help you.”

“You th-th-think this makes me strong?” Norman tips his head inquisitively to the right

“Of course it does,” the doctor answers truthfully. “Not everyone would want to come face to face with another part of themselves. Seeing yourself as a different person can be frightening, but you're willing to face it head on…. And though you are scared, I can tell that you're stepping into this with an open heart. You want to forgive Robert and that is an incredible thing. I know you've taken many small steps on this path of forgiving him. This step could be a huge one.”

“You really b-b-believe that?”

“I wouldn't lie to you, Norman.”

“Papa n-n-never used to lie to me—” Norman gazes out of the window— “then everything he d-d-did and said became lies.”

“People lie. It’s just in our nature. Sometimes we to do it to hurt others, sometimes we do it to protect them or ourselves.” Merlin folds his hands in his lap. “Whatever lies Robert has told you, he probably thought he was protecting you, but that's no excuse for his lies.”

“What m-m-makes you think that?”

“What makes me think what, Norman?”, he asks.

“Th-th-that he would lie to protect me.”

“Because—” he picks up his pen and notebook from the table— “that's what you created him to do.”

Norman lowers his head, tapping his finger on the screen of the tablet, unsure of how to respond to the doctor.

Dr. Merlin slips his pen in the spiral of his notebook. He thinks it's a good sign that Norman has taken pause to think about the last bit of their conversation.  Norman must really understand that Robert wouldn't exist without him, that neither of them would be the men they are without each other. “I think now is a good time for you to see what he has to say to you," the doctor adds.

Norman's right leg apprehensively shakes and he takes a drink from his glass of water. “Will you st-stay with me, d-d-doctor?”, he asks from behind the brim of the glass.

“I can't,” Merlin answers. “Because I promised that I wouldn't, and also, I shouldn't.” He believes the exercise will work best if they view all the videos on their own and only show him something they've seen first. He wants them uses these video messages to express emotions that might have been difficult to say in the past. Those emotions could be something they'd only want each other to know. “You should face him on your own,” the doctor adds. “But I'll be here for you afterward and you can share how watching the video made you feel.”

“O-okay,” Norman says timidly, setting his glass back on the table.

“Are you ready, Norman?”

He nods to agree.

“Good.” Dr. Merlin smiles then stands from the black leather chair and rolls it back to his desk. “I'll give you a few minutes.” He holds his notebook against his chest and flashes one more kind grin before stepping out, closing the door behind himself.  

Norman sits back in the couch finally unlocking the screen of the tablet. He stomach turns as he stares at the video icon, still fearful of what he's about to view. He knows what his papa looks like and all his mannerisms. There's no way that what he's about to see will differ from what he's known all of his life.

He takes several rattled breaths, then hits this play button.

 

> _The camera shakes then settles down before the empty office couch._
> 
> _“Just leave it there and don't touch it,” Dr. Merlin says off-camera._
> 
> _“I told you I don't know how to work this shit,” Robert Gold replies, also off-camera._

Norman takes in a sharp breath. Robert’s voice isn’t as harsh as he's used to hearing. His papa’s voice sounds a lot more like his own.

 

> _“Just leave it there and push here—” Merlin's arm blocks the camera's lens— “when you're finished.”_
> 
> _“Okay, I get it…. Now get your ass out of here.”_
> 
> _“It's recording,” the doctor adds.  “Your son is going to hear that.”_
> 
> _The door to the office creaks shuts._
> 
> _“Fuck!” Robert bellows and the camera wobbles with the sound of him hobbling back and forth._

Norman waits on edge to witness the face that goes with the voice.

 

> _The black shaft of the gold-handled cane comes into the camera’s view and Robert suddenly sits on the couch. “Hey,” he says. “It's me… Your… Er… You know who I am.” Turns away from the camera and gazes out of the window._

Norman gasps, “That face,” says clearly, all stammer lost. His eyes widen and he pauses the video. He honestly didn't believe he'd see himself sitting there, but he does. “That face is my own?”, Norman mutters, lightly stroking his hand across the screen. Robert doesn't look ten years older as he has always visioned. “It’s my own,” he softly repeats and quickly presses play again. He needs to know what his other self has to say.

 

> _Robert faces back to the camera. “I'm sorry you had to hear that with the doctor. I didn't know he started the recording…. What a pain in the ass—” leans forward, rolling his eyes— “but he's a good man.” He stares into the screen, folding his hands together. “I have so many things that I want to say to you, but I don't want to bombard you with everything in one video. So if you don't mind, Norman, I'd like to take this slowly.”_

“It's o-okay, papa,” Norman finds himself answering the video.

 

> _“I want to apologize to you. I don't know if there are words to deeply express how sorry I am for the years I've kept you away from the world.”_

He shows remorse for the worst thing he's ever done to Norman.

 

> _“I had my reasons for doing that and I'm going to tell you why soon…. But I want you to know, that I know now that it was wrong. I didn't know then, but I know that now.” He sits up straight, scooting back on the couch._
> 
> _“What I did to you was an unbelievable mistake and it doesn't make me any more different then Malcolm. I understand all the resentment you have towards me, I deserve it, but I hope to truly gain your forgiveness someday." He takes pause, forbearing his feeling._
> 
> _“I care about you, Norman. I always have, but loving you and needing to protect you doesn't excuse my behavior towards you.  I don't want the things that I've done to ever be swept under the rug….” He blinks, turning his head away from the camera and sniffs, then looks back into the lens._
> 
> _“I don't want you to ever forget how I was…. I should have to work hard for your trust and you should give me hell to gain it. Because in the end, I'm asking a lot from you. My existence takes so much away from yours and I don't want that to come easily. It shouldn't. I don't fucking deserve that….”, he says choked with emotion and clears his voice._
> 
> _“I remain in incredible shock that you would openly agree to share this life with me….. You're a good man, Norman. A better man than I could ever be and I know why Belle loves you so much. From the life you've lived, it truly is a miracle you turned out the way you did.” He picks up the tablet, zooming closer to his face._
> 
> _“I've wanted to say that to you ever since we came here. I feel a lot better for doing so. I hope that you believe that my words are genuine and that every step forward we take together is true. I don’t ever want to take a step back…. I love you, son.” A tear escapes from his burning eyes and he instantly wipes it away. “And that's—” he takes a deep breath— “that's it for now.”_
> 
> _The video stops._

Norman sits motionless, gazing down at the black screen of the tablet, utterly floored. He's seen his papa cry. He's never seen the man shed a tear, he's never heard such genuine emotion in his voice or witnessed it on his face. Watching the video felt surreal. He believes that everything he's watched is the truth. There no way such sincerity could be a lie.

Dr. Merlin knocks on the door and re-enters his office. “Is it alright that I return, or do you need a moment.”

“Oh, no, d-d-doctor, I'm finished.”

“Very well.” He closes the door and takes the empty seat on the couch next to Norman. He rests his notebook in his lap and opens it. “How are you feeling?”

“I feel okay. A lot b-b-better than before you left.”

“That's very good….. Is there anything you like you say about what you've seen or anything he's said?”

Norman takes a deep breath and nods, resting the tablet on the coffee table. “He c-c-compared himself to Malcolm.”

“He did? Why do you think he did that?”

“B-b-because all the years we lived a-alone were his fault. He said that what he d-d-did made him no different than Malcolm, but I d-d-don't think that’s true,” Norman answers honestly. Robert has done many things to Norman, but he's never broken him the way Malcolm has. “He's n-n-nothing like Malcolm,” he goes on to say. “Papa wasn't perfect, I always knew th-th-that, but he was not like him. I know Papa loved me and always m-m-made sure that I knew. He just d-d-didn't know how to take care of me.”

The doctor writes a few words in his book, then gives Norman back his full attention. “Have you ever told Robert you know he tried his best with you?”

“Yes—” he nods— “I have.”

“How did he react to that?”

“I d-d-don't remember. It was after those Christian s-serial killers attacked them and after I found out Papa and Belle slept together. Th-th-those few weeks of my life are all muddled with anger, g-g-guilt, and regret. But I do remember telling him that.”

“We need to dive in more about that time in your life. That's when you decided to check yourself into the hospital, isn't it?”

“Yes, b-b-but I don't want to talk about that today.”

“I understand.” The doctor scribbles down a note to remind himself to retouch this issue another time. “Why don't you tell me more about what you thought while watching the video?”

“I thought— he pauses for a moment, thinking of the face he saw on the screen— “that he looked just like me, b-b-but as the video kept going, he didn't.”  Norman struggles to put into words. It was an unbelievable sight to observe a face he's seen every day of his life showing expressions that were not his own. “I started noticing d-d-different things about him, s-subtle things, but the biggest difference were his eyes. I don't think I can explain it.”

“Can you try to explain it, Norman?”

Norman shifts in his seat, gazing down at his fidgety hands. “Th-th-those eyes in the video were like they had a d-d-different soul behind them. They were filled with such s-sorrow and regret, a lot more than what he was speaking,” he answers, choosing his words carefully. “And I thought—” looks up into the doctor’s brown eyes— “I thought they were beautiful.”

“That’s an incredible thing to experience. You're a lot luckier than most people are, Norman.”

“Why?”, he asks. “What m-m-makes me so lucky?”

“You were able to physically see something beautiful in the darkest part of yourself.”

“Huh….” Norman huffs, twisting his wedding ring around his finger. Wondering what his wife views when he isn't himself. “Do you th-th-think Belle sees those eyes every time she looks at him?”

“Yes, I'm sure she does.”

“She c-c-cares about him, you know. She's told me many times, b-b-but do you think she could be in love with him?”

“That’s something you'd have to ask your wife.”

“But do you th-th-think she can love him and st-still be in love with me?”, Norman presses the doctor for an answer.

Merlin rests his notebook on the couch and turns his body to Norman. He knows he won't be satisfied without an honest answer. “Love is a very complex emotion and there are many different layers to it,” the doctor explains. “What I know about Belle is that she seems to be someone that loves you very much. She's stood with you during some very tough times and she continues to stand by you while you try to find the right balance and answers in your life.” Though he still hasn't personally met Belle, Dr. Merlin knows by the way Norman and Robert speak of her, that it isn't too far-fetched to assume that they both occupy a massive portion of her heart. “But I think that what you're asking could be possible. I believe the best way of putting it into words is that she's loving both parts of you. Which means she's loving you as a whole.”

Norman breathing slows as he stares dead at the water pitcher in the middle of the glass table, continually twisting the ring around his finger. Coming to realize that what the doctor says makes absolute sense. He isn't ready to fully accept the relationship between Robert and Belle, they still have issues to work out between the three of them, but Norman has a better understanding as to why it has happened. And though it feels as if Belle is caring for another man, he doesn't think that feeling will be going away soon, in actuality, she’s caring for the other part of himself.

Norman suddenly stands from the couch and turns to the doctor. “I have to go.” Rushes to the door.

“But, Norman, our session isn't over yet.”

“It is for me.” Norman opens the heavy wood door and marches out of the office.

 

##  **~~~~~~~**

In the office of The Gold Motel, Belle checks in the final customer who’s set a reservation for this week.  

“Please enjoy your stay.” She hands the tall woman the key to cabin five.

The woman nods, grabbing her suitcase from the floor and exits the office.

Belle closes the sign in book and opens the desk drawer to store it away. As she closes the drawer, a buzzing in the back pocket of her pink capri pants catches her attention. She pulls out the new smartphone from her pocket answering the call from a familiar number. It’s her very first incoming call on the device. “Hey you!” She smiles, excited to hear the voice of the caller. She's has news to share to whichever man has called from the Storybrooke Mental Hospital.

“Hey you to you too,” Norman greets her with a chuckle in his voice. He didn't expect such a cheerful welcome to his call.

“Is this Norman?”, she asks, pacing to the back parlor of the office and takes a seat on the antique couch.

“Yes, d-d-dearie, it is.”

“Aww…. I always look forward to hearing your sweet stutter.”

“Oh, Belle,” he sighs. “How are you f-f-feeling today?”

“I'm feeling pretty good. I've been busy.” She sits back on the couch, resting her feet up on the old wood table. “I've actually just finished checking people into the motel and I was on my way back up to the house.”

“B-b-back up to the house?”, he says puzzled. “But, Belle, I just c-c-called the house phone. How can you answer it if you're in the office?”

She giggles in the phone, biting her bottom lip. “Well, Neal helped me get a cell phone.”

“What?”

“Yeah, honey, I have a cell phone now. I got the house phone disconnected and took that number for my cell. So you wouldn't have to learn a new number to call.”

“You dis-disconnected the house phone?”

“Don't worry, Norman. Those old phones are still in the house. I know how much you love them.”

“But, Belle, I -- I  don't understand. Why d-d-do you need a cell phone?”

“I got you one too, for when you get out of the hospital.”

“Okay, d-d-dearie…. Why do we need cell phones?”

“Neal’s going back home this week and he wants us all to stay connected,” she answers, twisting her hair around her dainty finger. “Through our landlines are nice, we have to be home to answer them and if I don't answer when Neal calls to check up on me, he might get worried. With a cell phone I can answer anywhere I am.”

“Oh…. I see. Well, th-th-that’s nice, Belle. That was an incredible thing Neal d-d-did. I'm proud that our son is looking out for you.”

“Aww, sweetie,” she sighs. He said our son, acknowledging that he and Robert are both Neal's fathers.  “He really is. He loves us all and wants us to be safe.”

“I know that, my love.”

“He also helped me set us up on social media and we can stay connected with each other that way as well.”

“Social m-m-media?”

Belle chuckles covering her toothy grin with her left hand. “Yeah, sweetie,” she says still giggling through her fingers. “I forget you only had one computer in your life and it's still sitting in its box in the closet.” She had given Norman a new computer a few years ago. She was hoping to digitize the motel records, but he never opened it. “I’ll tell you all about social media when I see you on Friday.”

“Alright…. It all s-s-sounds exciting.”

“It is, sweetie, you'll love it.” She knows he'll enjoy the new way of staying connected with his family and the world. “There's one thing I do need to ask you about,” she goes on to say.

“What is it, my love?”

“Well, we also set up the motel on social media. It’s amazing for the businesses.... A few days after putting up the site we got reservations for members of a wedding party this week.”

“That's un-unbelievable, Belle,” he says, utterly surprised at how fast they were able to catch new customers attention.  

“Mmhmm….”, she hums with a nod. “So…. I want to ask you if it would be okay if I could freshen up the rooms with a new coat of paint."

“Oh, I s-s-see now.”

“Mmhmm….” She can tell by his fruity voice that she has peeked his interest. “And you know how the house is filled with tons of furniture that you refinished and we never use?”

“Yes, Belle, I d-d-do.”

“Well, I was also wondering if I could move some down to the rooms and give the whole place a new look.”

“C-c-can I ask you something now, Belle?”

“You know you can.”

“What's g-g-gotten you into this sudden decorating mood?”

“I knew you would ask me that.” She laughs lightly. “Ever since the site has been up for the motel we’ve gotten a lot of traffic and comments about the building,” she explains. “You’ve taken such good care of it over the years that everyone loves the vintage look. And I thought the inside of the rooms should match the outside. Some of the stuff in those rooms are so old and rundown that it's probably safe to assume that it's been there since the place was bought.”

“It is safe to a-assume that.” He chuckles from the back of his throat.

“I knew it,” she replies with a bubbly giggle. “And you know, with you kinda being a pack rat, we don't have to buy anything new. The house is full of enough stuff to put something in each room to give it a new look. The only things I really have to buy are paints.”

“It seems like you've th-th-thought of everything.”

“I have. I just needed your permission before starting.”

“Why d-d-did you need my permission?”

“Because it's your motel, sweetie.”

“No, d-d-dearie, it's our motel and you can d-d-do whatever you want with it.”

“Are you sure, honey?”, she asks. “I've only been running it on my own for a month. You've been its caretaker your whole life.”

“Yes, Belle, I'm sure. It's b-b-been your place too ever since the day I married you,” he answers honestly. “So g-g-go nuts with it. I can't wait to come home and see what you've ch-changed.”

“Oh, thank you, Norman!”, she exclaims, blowing tiny kissing to him through the phone. “But I'm not going to go too crazy with it. We have such beautiful stuff in the house that the rooms are going to look so elegant.”

“Well, with you p-p-putting your touch on it, I d-d-don't see the motel being anything less of elegant.”

“You're so sweet.” She switches the phone to her left ear. “I'm very excited. This will keep me busy while everyone is away.”

“I'm happy you f-f-found yourself a project to help pass the time.”

“Me too. I think a bit of you is starting to rub off on me.”

“I th-th-think that happened a long time ago.”

“Mmm…. That's true,” she agrees, snatching up a throw pillow from the couch and holds it against her stomach. “So…. What has you calling at this time of day?” He usually calls later in the afternoon. She knows he has morning therapy on Wednesdays.

“I just finished my th-th-therapy session and I actually n-n-needed to talk to you as well.”

“How was therapy today?”, she asks.

“It was very pro-productive, to say the least.”

“That sounds like a good thing.”

Norman remains hushed.

“So, what did you need to talk about?”, she adds.

“I was wondering if th-th-there was any way you could come on Friday alone.”

“Alone?” She sits up straight, dropping her feet from the table. “Why?”

This is Neal and his families last week in Storybrooke. Why would Norman what to miss a day of seeing them?

“We n-n-need to talk to you and I think it's best if it's just the th-three of us.”

She can tell by the tone of his voice that whatever he needs to talk about sounds serious. “We? Do you mean you and Robert?"

“Yes, Papa and I.”

“Honey, whatever you have to say seems really important. Why don't you just tell me over the phone?”

“I shouldn't. We have to all be together and Papa isn't here right now.”

“Umm…. Okay, Norman.” She agrees to come alone, but this private visit with just the three of them only raises questions for her. “I can ask Neal and Emma to look after Bae for me. They'll understand that you just want to see me on Friday.”

“Friday isn't their last d-d-day, is it?”, he asks, panic crippling his voice. “I still want to see them, but I need to see you first.”  

“No, no, sweetie, they leave on Sunday,” she assures him.

“O-okay…. Good,” he says more relieved. “Th-th-thank you, Belle.... Well, I'm g-g-going to let you go.”

“I really wish you'd talk to me now.”

“I c-c-can't Belle. I think it's important that we d-d-do this together.”

“Okay, sweetie, okay.” She doesn't want to easily give up on the conversation, but she knows he isn't going to talk about it until he's ready. “Whatever you think is best.”

“Yeah, this is what's b-b-best…. I'm going to go now. Would you kiss our daughter for me?”

“I always do.”

“I b-b-bet she's probably in the house giving Neal and Emma hell, and m-m-missing you,” Norman comments, lighting up their conversation. He doesn't want their call to send on a muddled note.

“No—” she snickers— “she's giving Neal and Emma hell while missing you.”

“I can b-b-believe that.” he agrees wholeheartedly. Baelee is his heart and he can feel how much she misses him every day. “Okay, Belle, I'll see you on Friday.”

“You definitely will.”

“Goodbye, d-d-dearie, and have fun decorating.”

“I will.” She smiles, falling back into the couch again. “You take care of yourself.”

“I will.”

“Good… Okay, bye, sweetie—” she blows a kiss into the phone— “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

 

##  **~~~~~~~**

 

Later that afternoon, Robert Gold stands in the nurse’s lounge, leaning on his black and gold-handled cane, staring daggers at the vending machine still harboring his Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. It dangles on the edge of just falling down to the door, as the coil keeps it securely in its place between the KitKat Bars and packages of Oreos.

He's planned this trip of sneaking into the lounge ever since he saw a deliveryman stocking the machine with his favorite sweet and salty snack. All his efforts of getting here are now for nothing and the dollar he picked from nurse Ratchet's pocket has been lost.

Robert fights off the urge of shattering the glass of the machine with his cane. He’s sure that if he falls through with his destructive desires, he’ll find himself behind the doors of a padded room. So he stands with wrath boiling in the pit of his stomach, gawking at the beloved treat, wishing that taste of smooth chocolate and peanut butter was melting on his tongue.

“What a tragic sight,” Mel’s grating voice fills the lounge.

Robert sighs and his shoulder slump forward. He could have continued to stand there in his internal fit of rage peacefully by himself.

“Need any help with that nasty little machine?”, she asks, taking her place next to him, slightly leaning into him and takes in a deep breath. Everyone in the hospital uses the same brand of body wash, but somehow it always smells different on him.

He straightens his back and turns his head slightly, glaring at her from the corner of his eyes. “I don't accept help from vultures,” he snarls.

“Is that what you think of me now—” she lightly bumps her shoulder against his— “a vulture?”

Robert shutters at her failed attempt at being playful. Her coquette behavior always makes his skin crawl. “You do love to prey on others.”

“Huh—” she shrugs nonchalantly— “I can’t really argue with that.”

“And since I seem to be the thing you want to feed on most, I’m just going to go.”

“But what about your candy?”, she suddenly blurts out, as he turns away to make his escape from her. “Don’t you want it?”

“If it means I have to stand here and breath the same air as you, then it's not worth it.” He continues his ascent out the door.

Mel's anger suddenly flares, she can no longer take his constant rudeness. “You’ve been nothing but atrocious to me—” she steps before him, cutting off his path— “and at first I liked it. I thought it was cute, but now it's just annoying.” Her cheeks redden with fury.

“That makes two of us, lass.”

“What do you mean by that?”, she asks, crossing her arms and shifts her weight.

“Being annoyed with each other.”

“You have no reason to be annoyed with me. I’ve been nothing but kind to you.”

“Ah!.... Now…. Now I finally know why you're in this place.” He leans forward on his cane. “You're completely delusional.”

“I hate being called delusional,” she barks back.

“Aww—” he frowns, tipping his head to the right— “I wish I could take that back.” He stands up straight. “Actually, I don't,” whispers with a devilish grin stretched upon his face and steps to the left to walk pass her as his smirk fades away. “Delusional little cunt,” snarks under his breath.”

She stops him again by laying her right hand upon his chest. “Where do you think you're going?”

Robert peeks down at her hand against his chest, her touch burns his skin through the layers of clothing, and his hold on the cane tightens. It's been awhile since he swung it at anyone, but he's not out of practice. He lifts the tip from the floor, readying himself to introduce the handle to her head. He doesn't plan on knocking her out cold, just a little tap to get it through her thick skull that he has had enough.

Amidst the intensity of impending violence, Robert Gold feels a pulls deep within himself. A familiar sensation he's felt a million times. He closes his eyes and the cane slips from his hand. Norman has awoken to pull Robert away from stepping on to the road of his past.

“No, Papa.” Norman lowers Mel's hand from his chest. “You d-d-don't want to do that.”

Robert turns his head slightly to the right as if his son is standing by his side. “I know and I shouldn’t have even thought about it.”

“What’s this, now?” she rests her right hand on his cheek and turns him back to face her, unaware of how close she came to getting personally acquainted with his cane. “Are you hiding behind the small shadow of your weak son?”

“I am not weak,” Norman growls clearly through his uneven teeth, removing her hand from his face, slowly tightening his grip around her wrist. His eyes glaze over in anger, fed up with her unwelcome groping. “You will not touch him again.” He slowly pulls her closer to him. He wants her to see the fire burning in his eyes. A fire she has claimed he didn’t have. “He has asked you to leave him alone and I’ve asked you to leave us both alone….. You're going to leave us alone,” Norman demands.

“Oh, yeah?” She takes her own step closer. “What are you going to do about it?” snatches her hand away, rubbing her skin to soothe the discomfort of his firm hold.

“With two men sharing one b-body, it only takes so -- so much before one of them snaps.”

“Is that some sort of threat?”, Mel says half laughing. She can't believe that Norman even had the gall. “I guess the little boy does have a backbone.”

“As m-much as it pains me to say it, my papa d-d-does have a girlfriend and he will never show any -- any interest in you.”

“That doesn't matter anymore. This has gone far beyond just a little crush.”

“Why d-d-does it have to go any further? We can end this now by you leaving us a-alone.”

“Because—” she digs her finger into his chest— “he disrespected me,” says with a twitch in her upper lip. She circles away, as her long blond hair swings around her shoulder, and storms out of the nurse’s lounge.

The man with the split personality now stands in the room alone. Both parts of him unsure of what Mel is willing to do to rectify her feeling of disrespect. But whatever she has in mind to try to fix how she's been wronged, they won't allow her to make them fall back old nasty habits.

“I actually think she might be sicker than us,” Robert comments, picking up his cane from the floor.

“Th-th-that might be true,” Norman replies with a half grin, turning around to face the vending machine.

“Well—” Robert combs his lift hand through his shoulder length silver hair— “thank you, son, for stopping me from clobbering her.”

“You're welcome, papa. I wasn't g-g-going to allow her to make you go b-b-back on everything you're working hard for.”

Robert’s heart warmly fills with love for his son. Norman has never successfully stopped Robert from one of his violent urges. Could this be a sign of their bond together growing stronger?  

Norman steps up the vending machine and rests his hands on the upper part of the glass window, lifting the machine back an inch off the floor, then lets it crash down, knocking Robert’s stuck candy bar to the door. He removes the bright orange package and slips it into his breast pocket.

“Hey—” Robert’s eyes widen in disbelief— “thanks again, Norman.” He removes the candy from the pocket and turns to the exit, taking a few steps away from the machine. “What's gotten into you today, son?”, he asks. Robert could have sworn that any other day, Norman would have left him to suffer without the chocolatey treat.

“I d-d-don't know.” Norman shrugs and faces the machine as though his papa is standing in front of it. “I saw your v-video today in therapy. I've b-b-been waiting to hear those words from you for years. I g-g-guess really seeing you—” he looks down at the floor— “with all of your facial expression and hearing the sincerity in your words—” peeks back up at the machine— “helped me let go a bit of my anger t-towards you. I just feel a little better after seeing it.”

“That's good, son.” Robert faces the door of the lounge. “I wanted you to feel better.”

“I started th-th-thinking about some things and we need to g-g-go somewhere else to talk, papa.” Norman slowly treads to the door. “You're not going to like what I have to say.”

 

##  **~~~~~~~**

 

In the patient's wing of the Storybrooke Mental Hospital, Robert Gold sits on the bed in his room, waiting for Norman to start the discussion. He's been staying on the right path ever since the day of the cafeteria food fight. What could Norman possibly have to say that would be upsetting?

“Okay, Norman, what's this about?”, Robert says, breaking the deathly silence in the room. He can sense that Norman is a bit nervous. “Jefferson has been out of the room for nearly ten minutes.”

Norman stands to his feet and faces the empty seat on the bed. He locks his hands together, closes his eyes, and takes a deep breath. “It was a sh-shock to see you on that video today.” He opens his eyes, gazing at the bed as if his papa were occupying it. “It made me b-b-better come to terms with us really b-b-being a part of each other…. I really saw you, papa. I really saw you as m-me.” The video message was a lot more impacting than he had originally thought. “I started to th-th-think about Belle and what she sees when she looks at you. What she m-m-might feel for the other p-p-part of me, the part of me that’s you.”

Robert sits back on the bed, looking up at the space where he once stood. “What conclusion did you come to, son?”

“That she loves b-b-both of us.” He scoots to the right, sitting closer to the pillows on the bed. “It h-hurts to say it, it even hurts to th-th-think about it, but this is our reality.”

“You think she loves me?”, Robert asks.

“She's n-n-never told you?”

“No—” slowly shakes his head— “never.” Robert feels the love Belle has for him every time they’re together, but he never thought he’d hear Norman telling him that he was sure she did. It must have been a difficult thing for him to realize.

“I know she loves you, papa, be-because she loves me. It was breaking my heart to be aware th-th-that she was loving another man, but the doctor said something to me and it helped me b-b-better understand.”  

“What did he say?” Robert questions.

“He said that with Belle loving you, she's loving me, us, as a whole.” When Norman heard the doctor explain this to him it was almost like the fog that was keeping him from seeing why Belle had developed feeling for Robert had cleared. He still needs time to fully accept it, but now he knows why it had happened.

Belle's love for them is unconditional and she truly cares for both parts, the broken man, and the beast.

“Th-th-that's why we have to do right by her,” Norman goes on to say. “We have to t-t-tell her the truth.”

Robert squints, tipping his head to the right. “The truth about what?”, he mutters.

Norman stands from the bed and paced back and forth. This is the part he knows Robert isn't going to like. “We have to—” he stops at the foot of the bed— “tell her about what you d-d-did the day Baelee was born. She needs to know what we b-b-both did, what we kept from her.”

On the night of which he speaks, Robert had pretended to be Norman and slept with his pregnant wife. Norman and Robert then proceed to spy on Mr. Jones who was a regular customer of the motel at the time. They found him in his room engaging in heinous acts with a woman who was unwillingly tied to the bed. Robert killed Mr. Jones with his bare hands and freed the woman from her nightmare. Norman got rid of the body and every shred of evidence later on that night.  

“You said you'd never tell her,” Robert says, voice stricken with panic, turning to face the wall with the only window in the room. “You said that it would kill her.”

“She n-n-needs to know and come to her own con-conclusions about the situation.” He steps closer to the window, peeking out through the shades at the courtyard garden. They were so lucky to have such a peaceful view. “She love us, papa,” he states without a stutter, but still choked with emotion. “She fucking loves us, and we have to honest with her.”

“Did you know that she's forgiven me?” Robert strokes his finger across the white plastic shade, collecting the dust. “She's forgiven me for everything already.”

“She c-c-can't forgive you for something she d-d-doesn't know you've done.”

Robert's hands clenched into fists and he swiftly hobbles to the bed. “You do know she's going to be upset with you too.” His body lightly jitters and his face flushed with fear of losing Belle.

“I know,” Norman answers breathlessly. He's taken into consideration his actions of that night and his decision in keeping it from Belle. He understands that she will be upset with him just as much as Robert. “I th-th-thought I was protecting Belle, b-b-but that’s no excuse to keep this from her.”

“Are you ready to deal with that?”, Robert snarls through his uneven teeth, pointing at the empty place on the bed where he once sat. “To be stuck in this place and not have her?” Leans forward a little as though he's getting face to face with his son. His expression is taut with  exasperation. “Because I'm not!”, he bellowed in fury. “You've had her for years—” points to himself— “but I've just gotten her and I'm not ready to fucking lose her!”

“You think I want to lose her?”, Norman barks back, standing up straight. “That woman changed my life and freed me from your control. You really think I want to lose someone that means so much to me? I don't!”, his lucid voice booms throughout the small bedroom. “But she has to know! And if you don't tell her I will!”

They stand motionless, breathing heavily through their nose. Robert thought the events of that day would stay dead and hidden like the scum of a man he had the pleasure of eliminating. This reveal will cause nothing but a rift between them all, but it's necessary for them to clear the darkness of their past before moving on to a hopeful and bright future together. If they still have a future together after Belle knows the truth.

“Alright…. Alright, I'll tell her.” Robert plops down on the bed, burying his head in his hands and sobs for the loss of the love of his life. His body trembles with physical pain from a breaking heart. There's no way in this world Belle will ever forgive such deception. “But do you really understand what we’re doing here, Norman?” He lifts his head from his hands, eyes red and full of agonizing tears. “We’re ruining the day her only child was born.”

“We already d-d-did that, papa.” Norman wipes his eyes on the sleeve of his shirt. “We did th-th-that ten months ago.”

Robert lays down in the fetal position on the bed, crying into the pillow. This must be how it feels to have your heart ripped out and stomped on without end. “When—” Robert breaths between words— “do you want to do this?”

Norman rolls onto his back, drying away more tears of pain from them both. “I talked to her and asked her to c-c-come alone on Friday.”

“Friday?”, he breathes. The day is so soon.

“Yes, papa.”

“Well, I hope you don't mind if I sleep till then.”

“I d-d-don't mind, but after we do this, neither of us can run away. We h-h-have to face the aftermath together.”

“Okay,” he whimpers, turning back into his right side and closes his eyes.

“I'm so sorry, papa,” Norman whispers.

“It's alright, son. I never really deserved Belle anyway.”

 

##  **~~~~~~~**

 

Friday afternoon, Norman and Robert lean against the back of the floral print couch in the private visitor's room Belle has requested. They wait for their love, both still battling with themselves on whether or not it's best to tell Belle their dark secret.

“Are you sure about doing this?”, Robert asks, sweaty right hand gripping tightly around the handle of his cane.

“Yes, papa—” Norman turns his head to the left— “it's the right th-th-thing to do.”

They stand in silence, heart beating rapidly in their narrow chest, fully aware that this could be the last time they’ll see or touch their beloved unless she says otherwise.

The heavy wood door creaks open and Belle steps inside the visiting room alone. There's concern on her face, but she's still thrilled to see the men she loves. “Hey you.”

They immediately drop the cane and march up to Belle, slamming the door shut behind her. Robert and Norman stand before the woman they love, piercing dark eyes gazing into hers, both personalities fearing the worst. They moisten their lips and prepare themselves for what could be their last physical encounter.

Belle fixed on the eyes of the man before her and takes in something she hadn't seen in ages; the light of two souls peering back at her. She stands in wonderment and arousal by the act of them both presenting themselves before her. Could this be a glimpse of how their life could be?

“Kiss me,” her smoky voice speaks, yearning for a taste of their lips undiscovered blend.

They waste no time grabbing the collar of her blouse and pulls her into them, pressing their lips passionately together.

“Mmm…..” Belle’s body lightly tremors and her lips tingle to this new unique flavor. “Oh, gods,” she breathes between the warmth of their affection.

They back her up against the wall, as she buries her hands in their hair, and slip their tongue between her lips, consuming more of her minty fresh breath.

“Ah.… Mmm….” She wraps her right leg around their waist, feeling the intense energy of both flowing through her body, having no doubt about her love for the men. “Ah…. Ah!” She moans as their strong hands cup her pillowy breasts.

The connection with their love become more intense, and clumsy, as both personalities fight for control.

Norman pushes Belle’s leg down from around his waist and switches their positions. Rolling his back onto the wall, pulls Belle on top of him, giving her all the dominance over him. “Ah…. Belle…. My love….”, he manages to exhale. “Tell me what -- what you want for me to do,” he untucks her blouse from the skirt. “I'll do -- do anything, dearie,” Norman groans thickly.

Robert suddenly takes control and repositions them back to their original places on the wall, but instead, he turns Belle onto her stomach. He brushes her long chestnut curls to her right shoulder, laces their hands together against the wall, and licks the nap of her neck. “Say my name, Belle,” he murmurs husky upon her silky fair skin, lightly thrusting himself against her ass. “Say my fucking name,” he demands.

She cups the back of their neck, gently scraping her nails on their flesh, willing to let them both have their way with her. “Wait!” Suddenly pushes herself away from the wall, bringing herself out of the haze of lust. “Wait!….” She turns to face them, pointing her right index finger, urging them not to make another move. “Both of you—” she pants, brushing her bangs from her brow— “are too much. Especially for here,” she says.

They step back and give her space to breathe.

“We’re s-sorry,” Norman apologizes. “We g-g-got carried away.”

“Not that I didn't like it—” she straightens her skirt and tucks in her blouse— “but I would say you did get carried away.” She steps up to them and cups their cheek. “What's wrong with you two?” Grazes her thumb across their pouty bottom lip. “You've never done anything like this.”  


End file.
